


Devil's Due

by Diary



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Incredible Hulk (2008)
Genre: Angst and Feels, Bechdel Test Fail, Bottle Episode Fic, Bruce Banner & Tony Stark Friendship, Canon Crossover, Coffee, Drinking & Talking, Father-Daughter Relationship, Late Night Conversations, Morally Ambiguous Character, POV Male Character, POV Thaddeus Ross, Past Bruce Banner/Betty Ross - Freeform, Past Relationship(s), Post-Avengers (2012), Pre-Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-15
Updated: 2018-08-15
Packaged: 2019-06-27 19:04:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15691521
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Diary/pseuds/Diary
Summary: A conversation-heavy look at Thunderbolt and Bruce meeting after the Battle of New York. Complete.





	Devil's Due

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own The Avengers.

Everything about Bruce Banner, starting with the man’s very existence, bothers him, but at the moment- “You don’t need those glasses unless you’re reading, and you aren’t reading right now.” 

The words are churlish, almost childish, and make him sound simple. He’s aware he probably shouldn’t drink anymore, but dealing with one of his greatest failures sober-

To his further annoyance, Banner simply takes the glasses off, puts them away, and doesn’t say anything. His expression doesn’t change. It’s passive-aggressive in a way he hates, but Betty would see it as a reasonable, measured reaction to- or something. The point is, she’d sympathise with Banner over her own damn father. 

“I need some coffee,” he announces. 

He guesses it’s a small mercy Banner isn’t making any comments about his diet. He used to think Betty- when she was a little girl, she’d scold him about his caffeine intake and once almost burnt the house down trying to make some heart-healthy meal she’d read about. Then, as an adult, she’d fuss about his drinking, his smoking, and send him articles and recipes.

Now, the last time they talked, she didn’t even raise an eyebrow at the beer and burger he ordered, the coffee he ordered after, and the cigar he smoked during. 

She’s too good a person to actively want him dead, but she obviously doesn’t particularly care much if he does die. She’d- he hopes she’d speak at his funeral, say something about how, at least, she knows he did try. That he loved her and her mother. That he loved his country and gave almost everything he had to protect them and it.

But then, Banner never did make any comments. He’d stand by as Betty did. 

“You know, the media likes to portray me as stoic, rigid, and unreasonable. But I’m not. I make my feelings about things very clear. I always have.”

Banner looks almost relieved when the server comes over. 

After the coffee and some complicated tea is ordered, he asks, “Where’s Stark?”

“He doesn’t know about this meeting,” is the bland response. 

“What? Why not? Do you know what hell he’s going to cause when he finds out?”

Banner’s expression makes it clear he doesn’t consider this to be his problem, but what he says is, “Assuming I’m not kidnapped, he’d have no reason to.”

“You deserve to be put in a cage.”

“We don’t always get what we deserve, General,” is the calm reply. 

He’ll give Banner this: The man’s always had the potential to be an excellent interrogator. The words can be read into so many different ways, and Banner’s composed expression doesn’t give a hint which way he intends them to be taken. 

“Hm.” He waits until the coffee comes to continue. “Soldiers are necessary. We fight and bleed and die so that innocent people, especially women and children, don’t have to. We protect them. I’ve fought in three wars. I’d fight in this one if I could. It was scientists who designed those gas chambers, it was scientists who got the idea of using drugs and mind control, and it’s scientists who design nuclear weapons. But people like me, not you, are considered barbaric dangers to society.”

“With all due respect, General Ross, and in this instance, I do mean that sincerely, both are necessary, and both have the potential to be threats. Scientists have developed vaccines, new medicines, and ideas for both expanding and improving people’s quality of life. There are men and women who wear the uniform who have tortured and raped people and used deadly force when it was unnecessary, sometimes against civilian women and children. Those men and women don’t negate the good you and countless others wearing the uniform have done any more than Nazi scientists negate the fact your daughter is a brilliant, creative, compassionate doctor who has used her skills to save numerous lives.”

He wonders why Banner didn’t use her name. ‘Betty’. Part of him is glad, and the rest of him hurts.

“You were the smartest scientist we could find, but I didn’t trust you. Your ethics. Replicating Captain America’s serum, what would you have done if you’d done that and known you could? Anti-war, for all you claim to respect the men and women who fought for you to wreck havoc on my daughter’s life.”

Aside from looking distinctly unimpressed, Banner’s expression still doesn’t change. “There will always be ethical questions about whether giving Steve that serum was right or not. But I have the feeling you’re more focused on the latter than the former.”

“In which case, General Ross, progress sometimes makes people’s jobs obsolete. They can either adapt or rage against all those benefiting from it. My life and freedom up until you started a manhunt for me was paid for by the blood of those who fought and died defending those who wanted to see our country fall, and I’ve never taken that fact lightly. I still hope for the day when no one has to die to protect the lives and freedom of others. I still hope for the day when no eighteen-year-old kid comes home with a missing limb, or a person ends up killing themselves due to being unable to escape the psychiatric torments their experiences brought.”

Before he can respond, Banner continues, “If all disease were cured, many people, including Betty, would be out of a job. And many of them would turn their intellect and skills to different ways of helping people. If all a person wants to do is fight and kill, if that’s all they’re good at, then, yes, people who are anti-war are a big threat to them. For those who aren’t, they’ll find other ways to protect and defend people, or they’ll realise a different calling they can safely pursue.”

He scoffs. “You sound like her. But neither of you have ever fought.”

“I have fought,” Banner quietly says, but there’s a force to the words. 

“Oh, yes, the Battle of New York. Hulk fought. You-”

“When I was a child, I fought against my father trying to kill me. I’ve been in third world countries. I’ve fought to survive, I’ve fought to help other people survive, and I’ve lost more often than not. It’s a point of pride for you that you’ve rarely been knocked down. Well, I’ve been constantly knocked down, but despite that, I came with SHIELD when they asked. I used my intellect to help figure out what the enemy’s plan was. I willingly unleashed the other guy to both help stop Captain Blonsky, who was your doing, and to help in the battle. Even when I couldn’t save people, I kept trying to save others.”

Scoffing, he drinks more of his coffee. 

The truth is, he has to give this to Banner. Before he met the man, he was impressed Dr Banner had overcome so much. If things were different, he could respect him. 

“I’m glad you didn’t end up marrying my daughter.” 

Banner has the gall to shrug. 

“Why did you even get involved with her?”

“Because, she was a beautiful woman who gave me the time of day. I know you never liked the fact I was dating her or when we got engaged. I’m curious, though: Was that why you ruined my life?”

“Your life isn’t ruined. Stark- oh, that pain in the ass, he’d do absolutely anything for Lieutenant Colonel Rhodes and Miss Potts. You, he likes you. He was interested in you before the two of you met. Funny thing is, you either don’t see it or you’re already planning to use it. Which are you, Banner? A sociopath, or an oblivious stoic?”

“I honestly don’t understand the question.”

“You know why I didn’t want you with Betty? She deserved better. She was in love with you, and you- why were you with her? Did you love her?”

“Of course, I did. I still- I always will.”

“Really? I used to try talking to her about you, and she never had much to say. When she was in high school, she dated this dipshit boy, Tommy Rhett. She knew exactly how I felt about him, but she still talked to me about him. Every boyfriend she had, we’d talk about until you came along. I watched the two of you, and I could see she was in love. She wanted to make you happy. But you were never happy. You never looked at her as if she took your breath anyway.”

Banner looks genuinely shocked, and he feels a bit of sympathy for Stark and any of the other Avengers who ever make the mistake of genuinely caring for Banner. For all his numerous faults, Stark does care deeply and passionately about certain people. Caring for Banner, though, it’s a fool’s errand. Betty did, still does, unfortunately, and look at all it got her. 

“Did you ever consider, Dr Banner, that I didn’t tell you, because, I was trying to make sure no human subjects were unethically used? For all I knew, you would have tested good men and women without their full knowledge and consent just so you could get the glory for such a big scientific breakthrough? And,” he signals for some more coffee, “I’d say my concerns turned out damn justified. You did- I’m not even sure if what you did was illegal or breaking medical ethics.” 

He never thought he’d admit this, but he’s already lost. So, why not?

“But you did do something you weren’t supposed to. What if you’d died? What if you’d managed to give yourself a contagious illness? I’m the bad guy for not wanting my daughter with someone who’d do put her through that? For going after the monster who hurt her? You’re responsible for Hulk, not me, and she was hurt because of you.”

The coffee comes.

“Yes, I did consider why you might have lied,” Banner says. “I don’t believe that was your true reason, but it could be. You’re right that what I did was wrong. Betty being hurt was my fault. I’ve never denied either. I don’t know why Betty didn’t talk to you about me, General. She talked to me about you.” Banner catches his eyes. “I’m genuinely sorry I gave you the impression I might not love her. I do. I did. I always will.”

Part of him wishes he could believe this. Hulk did protect Betty, but he’s not sure Hulk might not have more genuine, if simple, morality than Banner does. Betty’s a button that could be pushed against Banner, but through all his politeness, all his meekness, all his social awkwardness and non-confrontational behaviour, he’s never been able to believe Banner truly loved her. There was just always something vaguely sociopathic-

He tried talking to Betty about it, once. She’d wanted examples, and he couldn’t give anything solid. She’d accused him of never being supportive about her boyfriends. 

Maybe he wasn’t, but none of them, even dipshit Tommy, gave the impression she was  just a means to an end. Pretty, intelligent doctor, on paper, such a woman is a great match for someone like Banner. 

“Look, General.”

He jumps. 

“I’m sorry you’ve never liked me. I’m sorry you never approved of my relationship with your daughter. I’m sorry you feel you’ve been unfairly judged over all that’s happened. But I’m the last person you should be throwing your pity party towards. Whether you believe it or not, when I was with Betty, I would have done almost anything for you. You were her father, the only immediate family she had left. I never doubted you loved her, and I was sorry for both of you losing her mother.”

“You could have talked to me about the true nature of the serum, and if you believed I posed a threat, you could have forced me away. You could have decided to find a different scientist at the very beginning. There were plenty of other extremely intelligent scientists. Just because none of them matched my IQ doesn’t mean they weren’t potentially as capable as I theoretically was. You could have talked to me or me and Betty together about your concerns that I wasn’t as invested in her as she was me.”

“Instead, you pushed me around, insulted me, and alienated your daughter in the process. I chose to experiment on myself, but I was pushed by you treating me that way. If you want to keep doing mental gymnastics to blame everything utterly and completely on me or on me and Betty, I’m not going to try to stop you.” Standing, he digs his wallet out. “I’m also not going to concede you’re right.”

Putting enough money to cover his tea and his half of the tip, he finishes, “I’d advise you not to try contacting me again. I wouldn’t advise it with Betty, either, but she can and will pick her own battles. I know she can fight them on her own, and if she ever can’t, I’ll always try to be there for her. Goodnight, General Ross.”

Watching Banner walk out, he feels a sense of uneasy dread for the planet. Stark’s made it clear he views Banner as a morally upright voice of reason, and on rare occasions, Stark will actually listen to such people. If Banner wanted to, he could couch something horrible into something reasonable and right, and God knows, Stark could destroy the planet if given the right opportunity. 

He wants to call Betty, hear her fuss about his diet, listen to her talk about her students and newest research, just be the father he’s always supposed to have been. If she has another man in her life, short of the man being abusive, he’s learned his lesson from Banner: He’d be perfectly polite, no matter how he felt. He’d pay for a wedding. He’d walk her down the isle, say he gives her a way, give a toast about being glad she found the right person.

She probably has caller ID, and the last time they talked, she called him ‘General’. She has before in the past, she sometimes addressed him by his title rather than ‘Dad’ even as a kid, but this time, she 'd looked at him with slightly irritated eyes. “I’m sorry to be rude, but is this going to take long, General? I haven’t spoken to Bruce in years, and I have an appointment at three. If I’m going to need to reschedule, could you please tell me now?”

When he dies, he doubts that’ll even be enough to get her to forgive him. 

Waving the waiter over, he orders another beer.

**Author's Note:**

> Author's Notes: I'm tentatively planning a sequel where Bruce talks to Tony and potentially more of the Avengers about what Ross said.


End file.
